Sep. 6, 2018
06:42 am JST

Sep. 6, 2018
06:52 am JST

Sep. 6, 2018
07:23 am JST

Not in Hokkaido, but in Northern Tohoku and we were woken up twice, by the first and then one of the aftershocks. Normally I am straightaway to the front door to ride out quakes. But this time I was still so exhausted from the typhoon that passed through Monday night that I was still struggling to get up by the time the quakes ended. No damage but for us but the first especially seemed longish, one of the longer we’ve felt since 3.11. Hoping our elderly relatives in Hokkaido are okay but can’t get through to them yet.

There will be more aftershocks, people in the affected areas should be especially careful. Good luck.

Sep. 6, 2018
07:07 am JST

Sep. 6, 2018
06:54 am JST

Sep. 6, 2018
07:17 am JST

It is difficult to think Japan does not go broke - earthquakes, typhoons, tsunami, flood, landslide etc. that happen every year all over Japan. Compared with other countries, the money Japan has to spend for natural disasters may be appalling.

Sep. 6, 2018
10:17 am JST

Hokkaido update: phone towers are running out of battery so we will have no connectivity soon. Reception already faltering. Water will be cut off in the next 30-60 min. Let’s see how long it takes to get things working. Local friends say they’ve never had anything like this before so may be a while.

Sep. 6, 2018
01:21 pm JST

My heart is with you, Japan. I admire Japanese people strength, courage, resilience, and patience very much. They live in such a difficult Country. Also my Country, Italy, is earthquake prone, and we have had in the latest years some events with many casualties. Every time, Japan always showed solidarity towards us Italians with beautiful gestures. I remember their lovely help with the Amatrice earthquakes in 2016. I feel close to you. Forza Giappone!

Sep. 6, 2018
06:55 am JST

Sep. 6, 2018
07:42 am JST

Stay safe everyone. Fingers crossed that the main event has passed, but it would be wise to stay on your guard.

40km is pretty shallow, so that means concentrated localized damage. The epicenter is inaka, so the measuring equipment will be more spread out than in an urbanized area. The Japanese "shindo", i.e., how much the surface shakes, is actually the most meaningful way to measure an earthquake and give ordinary folks an estimate of the likely damage. With localized quakes in particular, you can have big differences in the same town. From the images of Sapporo, it looks like some people there got hit with more than the shindo number on the map.

Sep. 6, 2018
09:59 am JST

I'm in Hokkaido. We're without power (thank goodness wifi is working) and have no idea when we'll get it back. Had to drive somewhere this morning; first time I've ever done that with total traffic-light loss.

So far so good, but I hope we don't have to go too long without power. We still have running water ... for the time being. Hopefully we'll be back to civilized living soon.

Sep. 6, 2018
03:05 pm JST

Still no power as of 3pm. Out for about 12 hours now. Seems most work and school was cancelled. No public transport running today either. It was crazy at the convenience store this morning with people stocking up on emergency supplies.

Sep. 6, 2018
12:46 pm JST

Sep. 6, 2018
07:47 am JST

Let's hope that this will be the last serious natural disaster this year. Like Schopenhauer said, the government department in charge of managing the natural disaster response is working overtime this year.

Sep. 6, 2018
04:15 pm JST

Sep. 6, 2018
06:15 pm JST

Commanteer, so easy for you to dismiss someone else's beliefs? A big part of Japanese culture is a belief that the earth is a living entity. Indeed, it is a belief across many cultures.

When they are unhelpful and unsupported by any scientific view of the world, yes. I don't think someone who just saw their house washed away or lost family is helped by anyone saying the Earth is angry. No educated person believes the earth feels anger or any other emotion.

Sep. 6, 2018
06:34 pm JST

Checking in from Tomakomai. Power is on in some place but most of us are in the dark. We have water, though, so we are lucky all things considered. Stay safe, folks! Another big jolt is scheduled to hit in the next couple of days. Get your supplies ready.

Sep. 6, 2018
07:07 pm JST

Having three-quarters of Hokkaido without power is unacceptable IMO. Obviousky, these new stringent safety procedures to strengthen the superstructures of nuclear power plants have not been applied to coal and gas powered plants.

Japan sits in the cusp of three tectonic plates and has a long history of strong earthquakes. I’m always astonished how quickly the wheels fall off the infrastructure in the event of a strong quake. Throwing out the ‘unprecedented’ card is just not good enough in a country that is famous for its micromanagement. Hopefully, the people will get their power back on soon. There is no point in trying to sue the power company or the government for compensation because they will just use public money to pay it.

Sep. 6, 2018
11:00 am JST

Sep. 6, 2018
12:25 pm JST

Abe and Aso wants to jack up prices for military and other things but neglect the natural disasters thats constantly occuring, money should be allocated for repairs perhaps instead of vanity works and military only

Sep. 6, 2018
03:47 pm JST

Hopefully those without power, water, and nearby functioning well-stocked markets, have followed the standard, oft-repeated advice to have at least many days supplies such as water, food that can be eaten as is, medicine, diapers, etc as well as equipment such as flashlights etc on hand at all times.

Sep. 6, 2018
09:09 am JST

Sep. 6, 2018
12:08 pm JST

Not to worry when one is prepared, luckily.

Luckily because I just installed the solar panels and inverter in my RV, can process my own water, enough can foods, and nice shelter like comforts of home, and AC during the day. So sorry for all the other folks but these are the times to open the bank and help my neighbors in need.

Sep. 6, 2018
08:54 am JST

This is the worst earthquake I've ever heard of in Hokkaido. I fear that with so much spread out recovery will take some time. This is really big.With Shinchitose Airport out and Rails down people trying to get out are really stuck. Don't know if remote airports like Memanbestu are operating.

Sep. 6, 2018
10:36 am JST

Hearts out to all in Hokkaido. Thank you to all emergency personnel, all personnel trying to restore utilities, and all who are volunteering to help their neighbors. I wonder how the flat roof houses held up in comparison with those with pitched roofs.

Sep. 6, 2018
10:37 pm JST

Take care to all my JT friends in Hokkaido. Be prepared and ready for bigger aftershocks. Remember, 3/11 was an aftershock. Keep a hand operated flashlight, medicine, 2 weeks of water and 2 weeks of food ready.

Sep. 6, 2018
07:17 pm JST

Sep. 6, 2018
10:14 am JST

OssanAmerica

There was a big quake off Okushiri in 1993.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1993_Hokkaid%C5%8D_earthquake

If I remember correctly the fires were caused by kerosene tanks. The area is a fishing port and squid fishing uses (or used to use) boats with big oil-powered lights to lure the squid to the surface. If you ever get a ferry on the Japan Sea, you can see squid boats from miles away. The tanks by the port ruptured and caught fire during the quake.

Sep. 6, 2018
02:54 pm JST

Sep. 7, 2018
12:33 am JST

Traditionally, many people in Japan have imagined a Namazu waking up down below and violently shaking the earth. The blame lies with themselves for not having properly appeased it. Nature’s illogical savagery perhaps needed a convenient way of picturing what was happening to explain to the children. Certainly it draws people together, over and above their petty squabbles when faced with such disasters.

Sep. 7, 2018
03:58 am JST

Sep. 7, 2018
11:21 am JST

Traditionally, many people in Japan have imagined a Namazu waking up down below and violently shaking the earth. The blame lies with themselves for not having properly appeased it. Nature’s illogical savagery perhaps needed a convenient way of picturing what was happening to explain to the children.

I don't see how the thought of a giant and irritable Chinese carp is more settling than the truth. I explained to my kids about tectonic plates - it's not a difficult concept and easy to explain. Traditionally, people have believed all kinds of silly things, but we grow and learn.